Fire and Water
by Lionchilde
Summary: Written early s9 What if Vala had been able to ring back after destroying the Supergate?
1. Fire

Fire and Water is a 6 part AU series written for The Noble French Fry's Livejournal challenge community, called sg-challenges. It was begun early in season 9, when I came around to being a Daniel/Vala shipper. In keeping with the word limit on sg-challenges, the chapters are 1k words max, so a bit different from One Path or my other fics posted here.

The AU asks the question of what might have occurred between Daniel and Vala if Vala had managed to ring back after destroying the first Ori Supergate. Both Fire and Water and it's sequel, Rediscovered Hearts, were written prior (heh) to season 10, so I chose to assume that the Ori got the message and stayed out of our galaxy, simply because it would be easier than trying to encorporate an Ori plot that had nothing in common with whatever would happen during season 10.

The first chapter is a poetic introduction to the series, from the POV of both Daniel and Vala during the events of Avalon. The rest of the story is strictly prose, so if you're not crazy about poetry, stick around for chapter 2. As a side note--the Rediscovered Hearts fic was nommed for this year's Stargate Fan Awards, and while I'm not much into fandom-fame or anything, I'm a bit proud of that, since this series was my first published fanfiction, and my first attempt to write in the Stargate fandom. Enjoy. Feedback welcomed and appreciated, positive or negative.  
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**Fire **

Love is fire  
Licking at my skin  
Hot death  
Acrid, burning in my nostrils  
While you finally wear away my defenses 

Love is fire  
Raging in my blood  
And your voice crying out to me---alone  
You need me now  
But I can't reach you

Love is midnight  
I'm alone  
There's nothing left but cold  
You're holding me  
But I can't feel you

Love is midnight  
And I'm lost  
Nothing but hard stone under my knees  
You're in my arms now  
But I can't reach you

Love is your heart  
Beating hard against my cheek  
In the moment I feel wind against my skin again  
And the scent of you  
Wrapped around me

Love is my heart  
Raging in my chest  
In the moment I feel you breathe against my skin again  
And the heat of you  
Wrapped around me 


	2. Glimpses

This is where the series actually began. It was a plot bunny inspired by an IM discussion between myself, The Noble French Fry, and Lhinneill. I don't usually do first person fic or journal snippets, but the whole idea was impossible to resist. The rest of the fic is more my usual style. (I think.) This is set about 1 year after Beachhead.

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**Vala's Diary**

I really don't get it. Everywhere I've gone, there have been men. Men with guns. Men with ships. Men with really big ships. And really bad attitudes. Now there's Daniel. It makes no sense. He's so straight-laced that sometimes I think I'll choke. But the eyes. He looks at me and I feel goose-pimpley under my clothes. One of these times he's going to notice and then where will I be? Hmm…maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing… He looks at me as if I matter. Not just to him, I mean. When a man's in love with you, of course you matter to him. He looks at me as if I just matter…and he's so…Daniel!

**Daniel's Journal**

Saw Vala's diary this afternoon. I really didn't mean to. I wonder if she left it sitting in the commissary on purpose. I really doubt that she'd have just left it lying around. I walked past and there it was, just sitting open. Of course I'd seen her with it before… tried to keep going, but somehow I found myself stopping at the table. Turning the page.  
Apparently she genuinely cares on some level. Which is disturbing-- to say the least. I have to admit, sometimes I almost think…but she's so…Vala!

**Vala's Diary**

He caught me with the fragment from those ruins he found last week. I should be furious. I really can't stand him when he's so smug about these things. He thinks he just knows what I'm going to do. And he thinks I planned it all along. But I didn't. Really! Is it my fault he just leaves things lying on his worktable? I'm not angry, though, as much as I should be.

I can't be angry, because it was different this time. When he pulled the thing back out of my hand, his face changed. Subtly, and only for a moment, but I know that face, and it did. For a second or two, he wasn't so smug. His eyes got darker, and the smirk faded. Then he just looked away, and when he turned his head again, it was gone. What was it? Disappointment? Hurt?

Well, what does he expect anyway?

**Daniel's Journal**

She took that fragment right out of my office! Right under my nose, in fact. I can't believe it! Although I don't really know why I don't believe it. It's just what she'd do. I almost didn't catch her either. Damn, I can't believe I was that stupid. I can't believe I expected anything else!

-----

**Vala's Diary**

…All right. I admit it. Sometimes, there is this part of me that actually likes cabbage…

**Daniel's Journal**

Apparently, Vala likes cabbage. This was some kind of major confession deal for her. She wrote three pages of lead in before she finally admitted to herself that she _liked cabbage_. I'd ask what it was all about, but then she'd probably kill me for reading her diary. I think maybe I'm developing a neurotic compulsion. I tell myself I won't. It's a horrible invasion of her privacy. Then I find myself turning another page.

Mitchell walked in, and I was sitting at Landry's desk reading it. I shoved it underneath before he saw what it was. Not that he was paying much attention. Too busy rambling on about space corn again. Fortunately, no one saw me go back to get it off the floor. What the hell was her diary doing in Landry's office anyway?

**Vala's Diary**

…and sometimes there is an even smaller part of me that wishes I really could be what he wants. But I won't apologize for taking that fragment. I won't lie and tell him I'm sorry, because I'm not.

**Daniel's Journal**

Of course she's not sorry. What would she possibly have to be sorry for? Breaking into my office? Trying to steal a priceless relic from a culture I know practically nothing about yet? No problem, Vala. Hey, everybody's doing it. Right? ARGH!

**Vala's Diary**

When he gave in so readily about taking me off base, I knew something strange was going on. He must have had to promise Landry his right eye, and all we really did was go for coffee. Some little place a few miles off that was dark, smoky, and furnished with molded plastic. A crowd of gloomy twenty-somethings in long coats or metal studded collars and black nail polish all gawked when we walked in. Daniel's hand moved to my arm and I had to smile because the grip was just a shade too tight to be a lover's touch.

"Any funny business and we're gone," he whispered as he leaned over my shoulder from behind. His breath was warm on my ear, but I don't think I quite shivered.

We didn't stay long at any rate. A guy with a tattoo on his cheek and a pair of lip rings didn't like Daniel's face. Or maybe he liked Daniel's face a little too much. I can't remember. In any case, he won't be looking at anyone's face for a while. I don't know if Daniel was more upset because I hit him or because I flirted with the arresting officer. By the time he dragged me back out to the car again, his grip on my arm was tight enough to make bones crunch.

"Well, he let us go, didn't he?" I demanded as he yanked open the passenger door. "Isn't that better than having to explain to Landry that I got arrested?"

"Landry," Daniel groaned. "Aw, that's…that's just great, Vala." He shook his head and gave the door a hard shove, letting it slam shut again before I had gotten inside. Then he brushed past me and stormed off, but only managed a few steps past the car before he stopped short and stared down at the ground.

I bit my lip. The windbag general was going to hear about this one whether we'd been arrested or not, and Daniel would be the one in trouble. "Daniel, I'm sorry…" I offered, turning to walk up behind him.

He stiffened, but didn't say anything for a long time. Finally, when he did, I felt my the blood drain from my face. Hopefully, he couldn't actually see me shaking.

"I don't want to change you, you know," he said softly.

"What?" my eyes widened in surprise and his mouth flickered in a small, hesitant smile.

"I don't want you be anything…anything but Vala. Because she matters."

"To you?" I asked, smiling a little nervously as I crossed the distance between us. He slowly nodded, and I reached up to touch his cheek.

"I think so," he whispered, just before my hand shot across his face in a hard slap.

"That," I said hotly, "is for reading my diary."

**Daniel's Journal**

…She did kiss it better, though. Thoroughly. Now she's curled up on the couch in my favorite sweater. It's pouring out, and she wants me to build a fire. I don't think we'll go back to the base today. Again.


	3. Here And Now

About 3 months after the last chapter.

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The problem was that Abydos was gone. Not just Sha're, or Skaraa or even Kasuf, but the entire planet of Abydos. Just gone. Wiped out by Anubis because Oma had prevented Daniel from interfering. So even the physical traces, the places he might have gone again, the things he might have touched--evidence of this thing he still felt, this tie that still bound them--had disintegrated. Literally.

So, here he stood, barefoot and leaning on the balcony rail, staring out at the rising sun. Inside, he could hear the shower cut off, and he bit his lower lip. The morning breeze was cold on the bare skin of his chest, but he didn't go back for the shirt he'd left on the bedroom floor. In the pocket of his old gray sweats, the tiny, black velvet lined box seemed to grow heavier with every breath.

"I don't even know how to explain it," he murmured, voice barely audible. "She makes me insane."

"You always say that," Sha're smiled in his mind. "But you love her."

"I miss you," he told her gently.

"I know you do…my Daniel…"

He smiled a little, and for a moment, he could feel her there, the softness of her hand on his. Footsteps sounded behind him, coming from the bedroom, and he looked up, turning his head as Sha're slipped back into his memory.

"Daniel?" Vala's voice. Real. Solid. Warm with life and slightly surprised to find him out of bed already.

"Out here," he called, his smile broadening as she appeared in the doorway, her slight frame wrapped in his soft blue robe.

"Thought you were going to sleep in," she reminded him.

"Yeah. Just talking to Sha're," he replied, turning back toward the flaring red and gold horizon. Her bare feet moved slowly away from the door, crossing the balcony with a soft slapping rhythm that brought her to a halt directly behind him, and he felt her arms slowly slip under his to encircle his chest.

"Everything all right?" she asked, the softness of her cheek pressing against his back.

"Mmmm," he said, feeling his mouth go dry. He nervously wet his lips and took a breath.

"Really?" Vala asked, turning a little to press her warm lips to his shoulder. "Because usually 'talking to Sha're' means something's bothering you…or you're losing your mind again…" she added with a teasing laugh.

"No…I mean yes…yes, as in really. No, as in nothing's bothering me," Daniel cleared his throat.

"Then why is your heart beating so fast?" Vala whispered, her palm flattening over his pounding pulse.

"Because you're touching me--" he heard himself say, and broke off hurriedly as he felt blood rush to his face. Her mouth curved in a teasing smile against his skin, but she said nothing.

"Vala--" he began, reaching into his pocket as he turned to face her. "There's something I--" he broke off, clearing his throat again. "Wait."

"What?" she asked, eyes widening with surprise as his muscular arms wound around her, quickly lifting her off her feet to set her on the railing. The blue of her eyes began to sparkle with unshed tears as he dropped to one knee and smiled up at her, holding out the box.

"Daniel, you don't have to…" she started to say, the fingers of one hand running softly through his hair while the other deftly opened to box to reveal the gleaming diamond. She eyed it, her tongue roving over her upper lip, then turned to him. He wondered briefly if she'd somehow missed the significance of the ring…something he'd considered, but highly doubted. Mating and courtship rituals were usually the first thing Vala learned on a new world, and she'd had over a year to learn them on earth now.

"It's, um…" he started, then broke off as her eyes crinkled in what he recognized as a clearly appraising expression.

"How much is that worth again?" she asked.

Daniel's face reddened angrily and he leapt to his feet. "Aw, c'mon, Vala! I mean--I mean, I'm trying to be all romantic here, and you--"

She gave a tiny snort of amusement and he broke off, jaw dropping. "Are you…?"

"Yes."

He rolled his eyes in disgust and started to turn away, then halted, blinking with surprise. "Did you say yes?"

"Yes…" she repeated slowly.

"As in yes?" he spun back to face her, swallowing hard. "Yes…yes? Or just yes?"

Vala slid off the railing, her arms coiling around his neck. He stared down at her for a long moment, half bewildered, unsure whether to be furious or amused, before she pulled him toward her mouth.

"Yes."


	4. Fidelity

About 6 months after the last chapter. This is my favorite chap of the fic. g

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Someone had actually snickered when she spoke the word. Daniel hadn't turned to look, and her voice didn't waver. Her lips never trembled and the shining smile never dimmed. But her eyes dropped, just for a second, and he knew she'd heard it too.

Neither of them mentioned it afterward, nor was there any acknowledgement of a certain look that had passed between himself and Jack at the reception. Vala didn't ask where they and Teal'c had disappeared to a few minutes later, and no one wondered how the groom had managed to skin his knuckles raw on his wedding day. Mitchell and Landry came to him later, quietly, and assured him that a certain hot-shot lieutenant who'd recently been recruited to the Stargate Program would not be reporting for duty inside Cheyenne Mountain on Monday. Or ever. Daniel hoped he'd be transferred to Antarctica.

He was also glad Vala had already been in the car then and hadn't overheard. The young officer in question was a tall, tan blue-eyed blond with freckles across the bridge of his nose, and Vala had of course, made no secret as to how enjoyable she found his presence on the base. Neither Cameron nor the general had voiced the slightest concern, but Daniel had easily read the questions on the faces of both men.

They hadn't stood at the front of the aisle with her that morning, though. They hadn't felt her hands trembling as she slipped the warm, burnished gold band onto his finger or seen her eyes mist as she repeated,

_"Take this ring as a token of my love and fidelity toward you…"_

Sitting on the foot of the bed, he looked down at that ring, and at his own swollen knuckles, and felt a bittersweet smile cross his lips. Daniel Jackson was far from a violent man, but he felt no remorse at the memory of his fists hammering repeatedly into Todd Howard's flesh. The only pain he felt was that someone had put shame--even for that split second--into Vala's eyes. And in that moment, of all times, when it should have been perfect for her.

She slid down beside him now, draping her arm over her chest. Her fingers smoothed sensuously up the side of his face to catch his glasses. "Don't think you'll be needing these," she whispered close to his ear.

"Mmm," Daniel smiled, letting his eyes close as she pulled the glasses gently away. Vala shifted on the bed, kneeling over him. Her hands lingered on his face for a moment, then slowly slithered over his chest, his stomach, moving lower…

"Wai--wait a sec--" Daniel broke off with a wince as his bruised fingers tightened painfully on her hand.

"Oh, Daniel, your hands!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking with remembered shame. She turned quickly away, but he caught her chin.

"Vala, no," he shook his head firmly, turning her back to him. Her eyes widened and she stared downward, biting her lip.

"You didn't have to, you know. It's not like I'm--"

"Listen to me," Daniel cut her off, forcing her almost roughly to meet his eyes again. "You are never less than perfect. Not to me."


	5. Mistakes

Okay, so i lied. This chapter is quite long by my standards. I forgot. It was written for a different challenge, but the readers had all been familiar with the AU by then, so I just went with it for lack of another idea.

Daniel and Vala have been married about 6 months here. Things get a bit serious when someone doesn't keep a promise, but it's not what one might expect...

One other note. I realize that Vala is made part of the team in season 10, however, as mentioned, this AU was written before that happened, and I simply assumed that she would be a sort of "guest" of the SGC since she had valuable offworld contacts. I elected not to go back and change that since the fic had already been published elsewhere, so I am leaving the AU as-is.

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Headlights. Flashing headlights screamed past his eyes. That was all he saw. All he knew. And with each blast of someone's high-beams in his face, he imagined that he felt the jolt of slamming brakes, felt her terror trying to rip it's way out of his own throat. The car swerved hard into the hospital parking lot, and he grabbed the door handle.

Headlights became the blood-hued strobe of ambulance lights, and the scream in his throat became the shattering wail of the siren. His whole body went cold at the sight, though he tried to remind himself that it _couldn't_ have been Vala.

"Oh, God, Sam…" he tried to say, his mouth working without sound. Now the brakes did jam on-- briefly, slowing the car as they slid under the emergency room awning

"Go," she told him. "I'll park, just go."

Daniel was already out of the still-rolling car, slipping through the half-open double doors, racing up the hall. Later, he would vaguely remember stopping at the desk, forcing her name past shaking lips. Now, there was only his back ramming up against the cold, impossibly smooth white wall outside the exam room. The stale antiseptic air and his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. He had to move. Had to go in…

"You're a lucky woman, Mrs. Jackson," declared the tired voice of an overworked ER doctor.

"Yes, I am," Vala replied flippantly, and Daniel could already see the flirtatious little smile forming on her lips.

"I'm going to kill her," he declared as Sam, Mitchell, and Teal'c jogged up. They eyed one another uncertainly, and Daniel pushed himself off the wall.

He almost melted when she sprang off the examining table at the sight of him. Whatever else, she was pale and shaken, and her eyes flooded with tears when he walked in. She ran to him before he could move, burying her face in his chest, and he stood for a moment, frozen with shock, before his winding his own arms tight around her. Part of him managed to retain his outrage, though, and he clung desperately to it as she began to apologize.

"Oh, Daniel, I'm so sorry, I didn't make--"

"What the hell were you doing?" he interrupted, grabbing her shoulders and forcing her back to look at him. Her eyes widened, then narrowed with fury.

"What?" she demanded.

"I don't believe you, I really don't. I mean, this is just too much. You stole my car--and--and--and you could've been killed--"

"Stole?" she shot back. "Would you mind explaining how someone's _wife_ can steal his car out of their own driveway? With the keys her husband left sitting on the counter, no less? And, you know," she added, pushing him away, "if you'd taught me to drive six months ago like you promised, this wouldn't be happening, would it?"

Daniel's hands balled into impotent fists and he spun away, striding across the room. "No," he shook his head, not turning. "I'm not going to let you play word games. You took the car. Not me. This isn't my fault, Vala, I don't care--"

"Obviously--"

"Excuse me?" he turned to face her again, eyebrows arching.

"I said _obviously_ you don't care," Vala shouted back. "Oh…my wife could've been killed? Well, gee. Let's not find out what happened. Let's just turn into a giant _buffoon_ and scream and yell at her in front of everyone---let's not see if there might have possibly been a reason--"

"Oh, I'm sure you had a reason, Vala," Daniel raked a hand through his hair. "You always have a reason! What you don't have is--is--even the slightest sense of responsibility--or--or respect for anyone or anything but yourself! You--"

"Daniel," Sam's voice cut through his fury with cold command, followed a half second later by Mitchell, and then Teal'c.

"Jackson…"

"DanielJackson."

His mouth snapped shut with a hard clack, and they stood glaring at one another until Mitchell's hand came down on Daniel's shoulder. "C'mon, Jackson," he said, shaking his head. "Let's just go get a beer." Teal'c's hand on his other arm made it more order than suggestion, and he shook his head in disgust, but allowed his teammates to guide him out.

Vala watched them go without a word, managed not to bite her lip until his back was turned, and then hurriedly went to gather her belongings from the chair beside the exam table. Sam looked on, her brow creased with compassion, and asked quietly, "You all right?"

"Never better," Vala lied, shaking her head. She didn't look up, though, and her purse slid from her hands. Lipstick, phone, perfume, scented body lotion, and a few things that Sam would rather not have seen came clattering out onto the chair then rolled down to the floor.

"I'll get it," Sam said, quickly moving to help. Tears came then, despite Vala's best effort to fight them off. She felt herself beginning to shake again as echoes of her husband's uncharacteristic cruelty flayed her battered self-esteem. Sam's arm slipped comfortingly around her shoulders, and she stiffened, but a moment later, she let herself be drawn into the unexpected hug.

------

Daniel pushed the door shut hard behind him and tensed, his teeth clenching in anticipation of the continued argument. The slam echoed through the darkened house and then faded, bringing no response. No flicker of light from the upstairs hall, no familiar, accented voice, either angry or repentant, and he felt his stomach tighten with dread.

"Vala, come on, not the silent treatment…" he called hopefully as he reached to turn on the lights. Still nothing, and the knot of dread grew colder with certainty. "Vala…? I really am sorry…" he went on, though he knew already that there would be no answer.

With a heavy sigh, he trudged down off the foyer and dropped his jacket onto the table where the answering machine waited. The quietly blinking red light offered a measure of relief. A message--any message--meant he'd find her. If she hadn't wanted him to, there would have been nothing. No trace. And he'd never doubted for a moment that she had a way off the planet without the Stargate or the SGC. Vala hated being trapped…and while he hoped that someday she wouldn't need an escape plan…

"Well, you didn't do much to help in that department tonight, did you, Danny-boy?" he muttered to himself, closing his eyes as he pressed the button and waited for her to speak.

What he heard, however, was not his wife's voice, but a message from the publisher of the journal for which Vala had convinced him to write his new paper. The first one, in fact, that he'd written in several years. Her interest had surprised him, especially once he made it clear that there would be no monetary gain to be had from his scholarly work. She hadn't cared--she _really_ hadn't cared about money, and continued to push him. She reminded him of his own shelved dreams, insisting he could publish without compromising SGC security. Though she never said as much, he knew he'd hurt her with his suspicions.

And now he was so lost in self-recrimination that he nearly missed the import of the message. It seemed publication dates had been pushed up. SG-1 had been offworld, and Vala with them, so he hadn't known. That had been the reason for her calls to both his cell and the base this afternoon. They were calls he hadn't taken, though the messages had been flagged urgent, because he'd assumed that she'd been calling to complain about missing her manicure appointment again.

_"Daniel, I'm so sorry, I didn't make…"_

Her tearful, abortive apology echoed through his mind with new meaning and he closed his eyes again, shaking his head. "Didn't make it," he finished the sentence to himself, though his voice sounded strange--hoarse and alien to his own ears. She'd gotten it in her head to drive to Fedex and have the paper sent herself. That's where she'd taken the car, not for the joy-ride he had accused her of in front of the team.

"Daniel, I'm so sorry, I didn't make it."

The repetition wasn't out of his mouth a full second before he was sprinting to his office. As he'd expected, the door he usually kept locked had been flung open. The floor around his desk was scattered with loose notes and sheets from briefing reports, but he ignored them and hurried around to the locked drawer--or formerly locked drawer--on the left side. It too was open, hastily yanked almost all the way out of the desk, and inside it lay not the finished paper but Vala's scarf.

Daniel stared at it, swallowed hard, and collapsed into the chair at the desk. "You stupid son of a bitch," he berated himself, and shook his head as he reached for the wisp of fabric. It slid sensuously between his fingers, evading him briefly before he managed to catch it.

Closing his hand around it, he lifted it to his lips and drew a breath. Faint perfume and Herbal Essence; vanilla lotion and the heady musk he knew only as Vala…

Vala. When he hadn't taken her phone calls, she'd decided to go herself. Which of course meant breaking into his office, and somehow opening a locked desk with no more than a scarf. He had to smile at that, despite the tightening ache in his throat. By rights, she should have let the damned paper rot in the drawer.

His hand shot down at the thought, curling into a fist to slam the offending drawer back into place. It smashed inward, splintering in several places, and the abrupt ringing of the phone punctuated the sound. Unconsciously, he dove for it, nearly dropping the receiver as he fumbled to release the scarf and hold the phone to his ear at the same time.

"Babe?" his voice cracked on the word.

"Hi, honey," said the brightly sarcastic voice of Jack O'Neill.

"Jack," he managed a weak laugh.

"You really screwed up this time, buddy," Jack observed.

"Yep," Daniel caught his upper lip between his teeth. Then he frowned thoughtfully. "Um…how do you know that?"

"Carter called me," Jack replied nonchalantly.

"Why…?" Daniel wanted to know as he pulled his knee slowly up against his chest, curling his free arm around his leg.

"I'm supposed to tell you that she's at Carter's, Daniel," Jack said gravely.

"What?" Daniel's face tightened with pain and he pulled up the other leg, hunching over.

Jack sighed, saying nothing for a minute, and then went on, "I guess Vala's gonna stay there for a while."

"Wh--well," he stammered, wetting his lips and swallowing convulsively. "What am I supposed to do, Jack?"

"Ah, geez, I don't know," Jack responded. "It's usually not smart to ask the divorced guy for marriage advice, y'know?"

"C'mon, Jack," he forced out.

"Just talk to her, Daniel," Jack sighed. "Tell her how you feel."

------

Sam opened the door in a sleeveless white t-shirt and a pair of baggy pajama bottoms. Her eyebrow arched at the sight of him, but she silently pushed the door wider and moved aside to let him in. He ducked his head, clearing his throat as he walked inside.

"Thanks, Sam," he offered.

"Yep," she said crisply, following him back to the couch. Vala was walking toward them from the kitchen with a large bowl of popcorn. Daniel sighed inwardly. Of all times for Vala and Sam to bond… The two women had never really been close, though they'd learned to get along well enough. It was the driving issue that had seemed to suddenly unite them. Sam asserted that Vala was entitled to that freedom, her habitual irresponsibility notwithstanding. Ideally, Daniel agreed…yet the thought of Vala behind the wheel of a car had always given him pause. Well, actually it had given him far more than "pause"…

Tonight, though, he could already see something cementing between the pair. Any other time, that would have made him glad. Sam Carter had been his teammate and a close friend for the better part of ten years. Of course he'd want Vala to enjoy a real friendship with her. But at his expense?

"Can we talk?" he asked softly, halting in front of Vala. She frowned, glanced down at the popcorn, and plopped onto the couch, hugging the bowl.

"I don't…know…" she said, biting the long red fingernail of her index finger, then glanced questioningly toward Sam. "Sam, I'm not really in the mood for a chick flick tonight…"

"Wasn't there a Star Trek marathon on tonight?" Sam asked with a thoughtful frown.

Daniel nodded, pursing his lips, "Ok…the silent treatment then."

"Ooooh! Right!" Vala nodded, bouncing forward to grab the remote from the coffee table in front of her. "That sounds like fun!"

He sighed heavily, irritation warring with guilt, and studied them for a few minutes. Sam had moved over behind the couch and leaned her elbows on it, feigning interest in _The Wrath of Khan_ while she and Vala began discussing the plausibility of the "Genesis Effect." Sam didn't even like science fiction movies. Rolling his eyes, Daniel forced himself to sink down on the cushion beside Vala.

For all her reaction, he might have been an extra throw pillow. _No,_ he thought ironically. _She'd be hugging a throw pillow…_

"Vala, look," he pleaded gently, leaning forward to rest his hand intimately on her knee. The muscles in her leg tensed under the caressing motion, and he felt her struggling not to respond. Slightly encouraged, he went on carefully, "I know what happened, and I'm sorry. I was wrong, okay? I made an awful mistake. I don't--I don't know what to do now except ask you to forgive me."

She bit her lip and finally turned toward him, eyes glistening. He shifted slightly on the cushion to lean closer, resting his forehead against hers. "I should've checked the messages," he admitted. "I didn't know the dates had been pushed up…and then we got the phone call from the police…all I could think was getting there. It didn't even enter my mind to listen to the voice mail then. I just had to get there…"

"So you could humiliate me?" her eyes suddenly sparked dangerously at the memory of what he'd said and done when he finally had gotten to her. She shoved him backward and sprang to her feet, still incongruously hugging the bowl of popcorn as she shouted, "You treat me like a child, Daniel!"

He stared up at her, eyes bulging, and shook his head in confused denial. "Vala, I--um…"

"Oh, well that's a brilliant answer, Dr. Jackson!" Vala scoffed.

"Well, wha--whaddaya want?" he cried, snapping upright now and craning his neck to glare at her as his hands spread in a helpless gesture. "I said I was sorry, didn't I?"

"Well, you'd think the man who speaks twenty-three languages could come up with something a little better!" Vala exclaimed mockingly. Daniel regarded her with a stupefied expression that came close to wresting a laugh from her, but she spun quickly, as if looking to Sam for agreement.

"You…want me to apologize in Goa'uld or something?" he asked, then gulped when she twisted back around to glare at him again.

"If you can't figure out what I want from you, Daniel, I'm not going to tell you," she said in a dangerously calm tone.

"Well, that's…" he started as the popcorn bowl rose in her hands and flipped upside down over his head. He slowly closed his eyes as the fluffy, yellow-ish white kernels rained over him. "…helpful…"

Vala, by then, had thrown the bowl down on the table and spun around, stomping off toward the bathroom. Daniel leaned forward again, planting his forehead in his palm, and watched her go with an exasperated shake of his head.

"I think you'd better leave, Daniel," Sam said quietly.

His shoulders drooped at the comment, and he turned, looking up at her pleadingly. "Please, Sam, I…I just don't wanna leave it this way."

She closed her eyes, giving a short nod and a sigh before she walked over to start picking up the popcorn.

Daniel walked down the hall to the bathroom, leaning quietly on the door for a second. Then he tapped it with his knuckles. "Babe…?"

"What!" came the strident demand from the other side.

"Can you open the door so we can talk?" he asked softly.

"Talk!" she answered sharply.

"C'mon, Vala. Please," he held his breath hopefully, listening for her movements inside, and slowly let it out again when the chain slid back.

"Thank you," he said with a smile as she leaned close to his face. He started to move inside with her, but her hand came up, flattening on his chest in a "stop" gesture.

"Daniel…" she bit her lip, her index finger then trailing up and around the buttons of his shirt.

"Whatsamatter, baby?" he whispered, reaching to clasp the hand in his.

She edged closer, turning so that her cheek barely missed his lips as she brought her mouth to his ear. "Go. Away."

"Huh?" Daniel's mouth hung open as she pulled away again. He started forward, hoping to make it through in time, but the door slammed in his face. "All right! Fine!" he yelled back. His palms pressed hard against the door, fingers widespread, then tightened into fists in frustration. "You wanna--you wanna be that way--then---then--then--fine!"

"Fine!" Vala shouted as he stepped back and turned to stomp up the hall. "I will!"

"Fine!"

A moment later, the bathroom door ripped open behind him and, despite himself, he stopped at the end of the hall. "Daniel!" she called urgently.

He spun around, grabbing a double-handful of his own hair as he gritted, "What!" He could feel the veins in his neck standing out, knew his face had to be red with fury as she started toward him.

"Don't leave!" Vala cried.

"Give me a reason not to," he sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides with a slap.

"Because I forgot this!" she shot.

Daniel managed a half-step back as her foot snapped out, but the toe of her boot connected squarely with his gut and he doubled over. "Ow--" he broke off, coughing and struggling for air.

Sam rounded to corner just in time to see him fall, and the bathroom door slammed shut again. "Oh, boy…" she sighed. "You ok, Daniel?"

"Yep," he managed, pushing himself back to his feet. He staggered slightly and threw out his hand to catch himself on the wall. "Never better."

"Why did she kick you this time?" Sam asked.

"Oh, hey…" Daniel shrugged, forcing nonchalance. "You know…she's…"

"…Vala?" Sam supplied when he trailed off.

"Pretty much, yeah," Daniel agreed with a nod.

------

"Psst."

In the darkened bedroom, Sam held herself completely still, feigning sleep. When the sound didn't repeat for several minutes, she began to relax. A small smile formed on her lips and she let herself drift toward slumber again.

"Psst. Sam!"

"What now, Vala?" she asked without opening her eyes. An hour ago, it had been Daniel's t-shirt, which Vala had apparently lost the ability to sleep without wearing.

"I still can't sleep," she sighed petulantly. "Daniel always rubs my back!"

"Is that before or after you kick him goodnight?" Sam asked, arching an eyebrow.

-----

"Hey," Daniel asserted to the empty room as his fist came down in an agitated tapping rhythm on the mattress. "This is great. Got the whole bed to myself. Yep. The whole…really big…bed. No one stealing my covers. No one pushing her annoying little way onto my side. No back-rubs. No head on my chest… Okay. So let's not think about the head on my chest or the back-rubs. I can even listen to music if I want…" he bolted upright as if suddenly seized by a saving hand. "Music!"

Rolling to grab the remote control off the bedside table where Vala had left it, he flipped on the stereo and a moment later let out a loud groan. Keith Urban's snappy, upbeat voice filled the room, declaring,

"…And maybe it's a little too early  
To know if this is gonna work  
All I know is you're sure looking  
Good in my shirt  
That's right

You look good in my shirt …"

Daniel tossed the remote over his shoulder and flopped back down on the bed in defeat. "Who the hell am I kidding?" he sighed as his fingers sought and found the edge of Vala's pillow. He plucked it off the bed and rolled onto his side. Then, wrapping his arms possessively around it, he drew his knees up toward his chest. As the song wound it's way through to the next chorus, his voice could be heard again, softly plaintive,

"…yeah, and all I know is you're sure looking…good in my shirt…that's right…you look good in my shirt…"

-------

"Saaaaammmmmmmmmmmmmm…." Vala whined, forcing herself to keep her eyes straight ahead as Daniel walked into the commissary alone.

Sam's deceptively strong arm hooked around hers and she grabbed the lunch trays, firmly steering Vala toward the table. "Just keep walking," she whispered. "Don't _look,_ Vala!"

"Are you _sure_ I'm doing the right thing?" Vala pleaded.

"Yes," Sam promised, setting the trays down with a clack for emphasis. She glanced over Vala's shoulder toward Daniel and then met her gaze again. "You want the car, don't you? Your _own_ car…?"

Vala nodded, her face hardening for a moment. "You're right. I know you're right…but it's just so _hard_ when he's all pouty…" she bit her lip.

"You just have to stick it out a little while more, Vala," Sam encouraged. "Believe me, no one ever died of being pouty. Now come on, where's that Vala Mal Doran edge?"

"I wish I knew!" Vala replied, pressing her hands to her forehead. "What's wrong with me--" she broke off with a gasp, eyes widening, and utterly froze. "He's coming, isn't he?"

Across the commissary, the other two members of SG-1 were watching as Vala and Sam, followed by Daniel, came in to engage in the third afternoon of the junior-high-lunchroom saga. Mitchell stood to lose a sizable chunk of his paycheck in the pool going around the base if Daniel actually gave in and bought her the car. Teal'c, of course, knew better, but he still found the situation amusing.

"Y'think we should do something…?" Mitchell mused with a sigh. "I really hate to, but we gotta get this thing worked out before we go offworld Friday."

"I believe it is often most unwise to interfere in marital disputes, Colonel Mitchell," replied Teal'c mildly, his eyes moving slowly between Vala and the distant corner table where Daniel now sat pretending not to stare at her. "However, to anger Lt. Colonel Carter is _always_ unwise…"

"Yeah, and ticking off Vala's just plain insane," Mitchell nodded reluctant agreement.

"Indeed," Teal'c asserted.

"Well, Jackson _ain't_ gonna give in," Mitchell insisted.

"I believe you are mistaken, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c replied.

"What!" Mitchell laughed. "He almost killed her himself…"

"I have fought beside DanielJackson for many years," Teal'c reminded him, which was as close as the Jaffa would come to commenting on Mitchell's relative inexperience on SG-1.

"Yeah, well…uh-oh…" Mitchell broke off as he saw Daniel rise from the table and grab the duffle-bag he'd carried in with him. He walked over to Vala and Sam with an air of grim determination.

Vala's hands smacked down on the table as Daniel walked up. He paused, startled, and frowned from her to Sam and back again. "Um, hi…?"

"Hello," Vala said frostily.

"I…brought you those things you asked for," he said uncomfortably, setting the duffle down on the table beside her. "The black miniskirt…the other black miniskirt…the other black mini---"

"_Okay_, Daniel," Vala interrupted. "_Thank_ you."

"You're welcome," he nodded, turning away again. He could feel her eyes following and stopped after a few steps. Then he turned slowly and walked back to her. She didn't speak, but offered a tentative smile.

He cleared his throat, glanced down at the bag, and frowned again. "Your book's in the side pocket. Put the little cap thing on your toothbrush for you, too…"

"Thanks," Vala nodded. He didn't move to go, and she cleared her throat expectantly.

"Those…uh…sandals that you never wear anyway?"

"Yes?"

"They're in there. Because you asked."

"Well, thank you, Daniel," Vala forced a smile. "Was there…?"

"Yes," he nodded before she finished the question.

"Yes? Yes, what?"

"Something else," he cleared his throat again and looked down at the bag, suddenly nervous.

"Other than the blouses and my makeup?" Vala inquired.

"Open it," he replied, waving his hand toward the bag. Vala frowned, shifting her head in an effort to meet his eyes, but he kept them firmly on the bag.

"Presents aren't going to work you know," she told him with a haughty sniff as she unzipped the bag to peer inside. Her mouth formed a small, nearly perfect "o", for which Daniel felt an answering smile and a flush of warmth that flowed along his nerves and came to rest, glow-like, in his stomach. Her fingers pushed their way inside, describing an affectionate and possessive caress. "Oh, Daniel…Daniel Jackson, that is just…so…not fair!"

"Pick it up," Daniel told her softly.

Vala pursed her lips, and her eyes twitched up to peer at his face again. "Why?" she demanded. "If you think this is going to make me come home, you're wrong, Daniel…"

"I don't--" he stopped, letting out a rueful breath. "I'm not going to say I don't care if you come home. Of course I want you home; I miss you. Like crazy. But that's not why I packed it."

"Oh, really?" she asked skeptically. "Then why exactly is it so important that I take it out of the bag now, Daniel?"

"Vala, I'm not trying to manipulate you," Daniel said with the slightest edge in his tone. "Now I guess…you can just believe that or not."

She sighed in exasperation, but her fingers did tighten on the faded fabric and she lifted out the worn, once-black t-shirt. He bit his lip when her eyes lingered too long on the familiar hole in the sleeve. There was tenderness in the gaze now, though once or twice he'd seen her eyes drift there when she was contemplating whether a similar hole might look as good on the other shoulder. It didn't help either that she knew he'd let her kiss it better the next time she shot him. Any other time, the memory of the events aboard _Prometheus_ would've brought a secret smile to his lips…but now, he felt his brow crease anxiously.

Then the metallic glint caught her eye and she peered in again. Her eyes widened, and confusion briefly clouded her features before she thrust her hand back into the duffle to snatch the keys.

"Daniel!" she sprang out of the chair, knocking him off balance as she flung her arms wildly around his neck. He reached back, catching himself awkwardly on the edge of a table behind him, but her lips had found him by then, and neither really noticed.

She pulled back far too quickly for his taste, and he leaned in again, but she deftly avoided his questing lips and whispered close to his ear, "So, I get to drive home, right?"


	6. Water

1 year after Fidelity. Obviously.  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey, happy anniversary, Vala!" Sam called brightly as the door to her lab closed behind her. Vala paused at the end of the hall, waiting, and she jogged to catch up.

"Thanks," her friend replied quickly. Too quickly. Sam frowned.

"Okay," she said knowingly. "What happened this time?"

"Nothing," Vala assured her, starting up the hall again with a shake of her head.

"Vala, c'mon. People don't sound like that on their first anniversary without a reason," Sam sighed.

Vala paused again, her hand moving to her forehead. "There is a reason," she confessed, sweeping her hand through her long hair with a sigh of her own. "But not what you think. We're not arguing."

"Okay, then what's going on?" Sam asked, taking Vala's arm. She walked over to the water cooler, leaning casually against the wall on one side of it. Vala shrugged, not speaking for a moment, and stared up at the half-filled, bluish plastic cylinder of Poland Spring .

"I love Daniel, Sam," she said, very softly, almost whispering.

"Yeah…and that's a problem…?" Sam frowned again.

"Love's like water," Vala shook her head, moving to cup her hand under the spout. She leaned in, pressing the button with her other hand, and let the cold stream splash down into her palm, spilling over her fingers to form a tiny puddle by the toes of her boots. "You try to hold it…but sooner or later it just runs through your fingers…"

She trailed off at the sound of an opening door behind her, and turned to see Daniel exiting the General's office. He looked up from the file-folder he was carrying, a startled expression crossing his face at the sight of her. Then his eyebrow rose, and he slowly walked across the hall, staring down at her hand and the growing pool of water. Shrugging, he reached around her, grabbed a paper cup from the stack, and wrapped her fingers around it.

_Finis_

_--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_As a final note: this fic does have multiple sequels set later in Daniel and Vala's marriage._ They were written as sequels because I fully intended to stop this AU here, but readers asked for more, and challenge prompts gave me the necessary inspiration.

_They will be posted in the upcoming future. I am not sure when. If you enjoyed Fire and Water, feel free to add me to your Author Alerts subscription. __**DON'T subscribe to a story alert for this fic; you won't get update notices because the story itself is complete. **_

In chronological order, the sequels to this story are: 

-Interlude ( a loosely interconnected collection of fics set in the same universe as Fire and Water. They were written after the series itself, so I don't include them as part of it. ) 

_-Rediscovered Hearts _(a 46 chapter epic set in the third year of Daniel and Vala's marriage, involves the birth of their first child and an exploration of Vala's past.)

_-In The Moment (_a loosely interconnected collection of fics similar to the Interlude set. They were written shortly after I wrote Rediscovered Hearts, but take place before _Beyond Breaking_.

_-The Promise of Thorns_ (an SGA fic set in the same verse. It's the SGA equivalent to Fire and Water, kicking off a crossover sequel called Beyond Breaking.)

_-A Rediscovered Christmas (_ a Christmas series set in the RH universe. Hijinx abound when Vala's Santa Trap actually works. Just silly, but I had lots of fun writing it.)

-_Beyond Breaking (_ the planned followup to RH and Promise. I and some of the RH readers on LJ readers were speculating about season 10 and what might happen if the Ori returned in the RH AU somewhat later than they did in canon. About six chapters have been written, but the end of SG-1 s10 and SGA s3 really blew the fic out of the water. It will be done eventually, just don't know when.)

-_Idyll Days (_the final collection of short interconnected fics in this AU, set after the resolution of the Ori conflict)


End file.
